Since reading Bonds of Justice in the late spring of 2010, I have become a Nalini Singh devotee. I will read anything she writes, with no questions asked. Upon finishing Sophia and Max’s story, I took myself to local bookstores (several trips) and bought up every Psy/Changeling book I could get my hands on. I was in heaven by the time I finished them all because I knew that I had finally discovered one of the best paranormal series on the market. I have waited with bated breath for each successive release (Play of Passion, Kiss of Snow, Tangle of Need and Heart of Obsidian), becoming more attached to the series and the world building of the emotionless Psy and the playful Changelings.

While I may never again experience the same type of hysterical need for a book that I did for Kiss of Snow, I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the series, Shield of Winter. Last year, Singh published Heart of Obsidian, a book that was a game changer for the series. She revealed the identity of the Ghost, a long-standing mysterious Psy figure who worked with the Changelings against the corrupt members of the Psy Council, and she formally ended Silence, the protocol keeping Psy from feeling. Singh also began a shift from telling stories about the Changelings to telling stories about the Psy. Heart of Obsidian featured two Psy main characters.

The two main characters of Shield of Winter, the first story told post-Silence, are also both Psy. Vasic is an Arrow which is a military organization that has been dedicated to keeping Silence in place, a man who believes strongly that he cannot live without Silence. His heroine is Ivy Jane, a Psy who has lived with her fractured Silence for most of her life.

Vasic is given the job of keeping Ivy Jane safe. She is an empath, a type of Psy that has been hidden since the dawn of Silence. Empaths are vital to the stability of Psy mentality, but have been deliberately subjugated and continually rehabilitated for years in order to block their emotional responses. Such empaths are apparently a key to stabilizing the Net (the Psy mental network) now that Silence has fallen.

I will tell you that I’m not sure what to expect from Vasic. I am admittedly much keener on the character of Aden. Vasic seems cold and emotionless, almost the perfect Psy. We have certainly seen cracks in his conditioning, but these seem to affect his mental stability more than his ability to feel emotion. Does he have the capacity to love? Will he be able to survive post Silence? I am assuming that his ability to cope is not a sure thing. I know that love will conquer all, but I’m a bit concerned about how it will all come to be.

I’m also interested in learning more about the Psy in the post-Silence world. The transition must be a bloody one, based upon Shield of Winter’s description. I expect much confusion, helplessness and frustration, along with some very tentative romantic interaction. After all, Psy males are not often alpha-type heroes with extensive sexual histories. Most are virgins.

So, I am eagerly awaiting the release of Shield of Winter in order to find out what happens to the Psy post-Silence, and to learn more about the Vasic, a man with the rare teleportation ability. Will Ivy Jane crack his shell? Will he survive it? I shall be reading this one as soon as I get my hands on it and fully expect to be blown away.

What are you looking forward to most about Shield of Winter?

Learn more or pre-order a copy of Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh, available June 3, 2014:

Jennifer Porter, a mild-mannered librarian by day, runs the review site Romance Novel News and is a compulsive romance reader. She has a tendency to live tweet her craziest reads as @JenniferRNN

I was lucky to win an arc copy of Shield of Winter and Vasic's story is everything I hoped to read and more.
I have tremendous respect for Nalini Singh who keep producing high quality stories year after year and never disappoint. Whatever she writes, I will buy it.
You are in for a treat. :)

I am also addicted to the Psy-Changling series and have Shield of Winter on pre-order. I was surprised that Vasic is the main character as I was expecting (hoping) to get Aden's story. Looking forward to seeing how Vasic melts some of that ice with Ivy.

As with LegeArtis, I also got a ARC copy from the contest back in April. I read the book three times! I loved the story and was quite surprised with some of the things that happened. The story does not disappoint and I think all of Nalini's fans will be very happy with it.

My wait for Aden's book is already in full swing. I'm really looking forward to it!